Floor sweeper with improved drive coupling

ABSTRACT

A floor sweeper having a pair of rotatable brushes, each of which is alternately driven or freely rotatable over the floor. The direction of rotation of each brush is the same at all times and is opposite to the direction of rotation of the other brush. A coupling device is connected between a sweeper wheel and the end of each brush, and includes a hollow coupling wheel having an open inner end and cam risers on its inner circumferential surface. A pawl is mounted to be engaged by the risers. Means are provided to seal the interior of the coupling from dust and debris.

United States Patent Inventors William Morris;

Henry J. Rosendall, both of Grand Rapids, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 841,370 [22] Filed July 14, 1969 [45] Patented Sept.7,197l [73] Assignee Bissel Inc.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

[54] FLOOR SWEEPER WITH IMPROVED DRIVE COUPLING 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 15/41, 192/46 [51] lnt.Cl A471 11/32 [50] Field of Search 15/41-48, 49 C, 50 C, 79; 192/43, 46 X [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,507,317 9/1924 Laberge, 15/79 Primary Examiner- Edward L. Roberts Attorney-Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall ABSTRACT: A floor sweeper having a pair of rotatable brushes, each of which is alternately driven or freely rotatable over the floor. The direction of rotation of each brush is the same at all times and is opposite to the direction of rotation of the other brush. A coupling device is connected between a sweeper wheel and the end of each brush, and includes a hollow coupling wheel having an open inner end and cam risers on its inner circumferential surface. A pawl is mounted to be engaged by the risers. Means are provided to seal the interior of the coupling from dust and debris.

ATENTED SEP 7 I221 INVENTORS WILLlAM MORRIS ljENRY J ROSENDALL /7 4 "I7 L, 5% {M Attorneys FLOOR SWEEPER WITH IMPROVED DRIVE COUPLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a floor sweeper of the rotary brush type, and which utilizes an improved drive coupling for the rotary brush means.

This. invention is an improvement over the various embodiments'disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 597,962,

filed Nov. 30, 1966 by Gunter. Bienek, and now Pat-No. 3,457,575, entitled SWEEPER FOR CARPETED AND SMOOTH FLOORS, and assigned to a common assignee.

In that application, a pair of rotatable brushes are provided,

with the dustpans disposed either between or outside the brushes. Each brush rotates unidirectionally to continuously sweep dust and debris into its respective dustpan, no matter whether the sweeper is being translated in a fore or aft direction over the floor, which may be either carpeted or I smooth.-When the sweeper is translated in one direction, one

brush of sweeper translation is reversed, the formerly driven brush freely rotates and the formerly freelyrotating brush is driven. Various'forms of coupling means are shown for driving the brush. v

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The'present invention is directed to a sweeper with an improved form of coupling which selectively connects the sweeper drive wheels with the rotary brush to provide the desired unidirectional action. Generally, the coupling comprises a unitary pawl and spring arm fixedly mounted to each end of the brush. The arm is adapted to be engaged by camlike risers which are built into the interior of a hollow wheel, which in turn is drivingly connected to the sweeper wheels. The entire assembly is enclosed to prevent dust and debris from interfering with the coupling action.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing. illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the I invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor sweeper constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the sweeper with portions of the cover removed, and showing the improved coupling device;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling device;

FIG 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the driving action of the coupling device; 1 FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the assembled coupling show in FIG. 3 with parts broken away and in section; and

FIG. 6 is a section of the coupling of FIG. 5 taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

As shown in the drawing, the invention is embodied in a floor sweeper having a frame which includes sidewalls 1 and a cover 2, as well as a suitable bail 3 which is attached to the frame, and has the usual handle, not shown.

A pair of spaced rotatable sweeper brushes 4 and 5 are .mounted within the housing. Each brush includes a suitable brush axle or core 6, 7 having a plurality of groups of bristles 8, 9 secured therein.

. floor 10 during translation will cause the brush to sweep into its respective pan. The direction of permissible free rotation for one brush is, however, opposite to the direction of free rotation for the other brush. Thus, brush 4 will rotate freely in counterclockwise direction during leftward sweeper translation, and brush 5 will rotate freely in a clockwise direction during rightward sweeper translation.

However, when one brush is rotating freely, the other brush is blocked from such free rotation and is actually driven by the sweeper mechanism in a direction opposite to that of the freely rotating brush. Upon reversal of the direction of sweeper translation, the free or driven actions of the brushes reverse.

To provide the above-described action, similar coupling devices 12, 13 are attached between the ends of each respective brush 4, 5 and the respective sweeper drive'wheels 14 which support the sweeper on floor 10 for reciprocating translation thereover. Although a coupling device is shown as being mounted on both ends of each brush, it may be possible to utilize only one such device mounted at one end of the brush without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, one coupling device 12 comprises a unitary hollow housing or wheel 15 having an inner open end and an outer closed end wall 16. A central depression 17 in wall 16 receives the circular flat base portion 18 of a rectangular locator member 19 which positions wheel 15 in the sweeper housing. For this purpose, member 19 fits into a rectangular opening 20 in a sidewall 1.

Wheel 15 and locator 19 may be made of any suitable material, such as Nylon or other relatively rigid plastic.

Wheel 15, by virtue of its mounting in sidewall 1, is disposed for permanent rolling engagement with sweeper wheel 14, which drives wheel 15. Frictional contact between the wheels may be suitably increased, as by a rubberlike surface layer 21 on sweeper wheel 14 and serrations 22 on the outer circumferential surface of coupling wheel 15.

In accordance with the invention, wheels 14 and 15 are adapted to be coupled or uncoupled to brush 4, depending on the direction of rotation of sweeper wheel 14. FOr this purpose, the inner circumferential surface of coupling wheel 15 is provided with a drive means which comprises a series of camlike risers 23. The lowermost portion of'each riser, which is of maximum radial distance from the wheel axis, is above the inner surface of the wheel, thereby providing an inwardly facing annular shoulder 24, for purposes to be described. The uppermost portion of each riser, which is of minimum radial distance from the wheel axis, is provided with a dropoff edge 25 which forms a drive face.26, for purposes to be described.

The coupling means also includes a unitary pawl member 27 which comprises, in part, a flat disclike circular base 28. Base 28 and sweeper brush 4 are fixedly secured for rotation together, as by a serrated hub 29 which is press fit into an axial opening 30 in the brush end. A spring arm 31 is disposed inwardly of base 28 for driving engagement with drive face 26, and is secured to the base, as by a semicylindrical support 32, As shown in FIG. 5, the inner portion of spring arm 31 forms a curved extension of support 32, while the outer end portion thereof is relatively straight.

Pawl member 27 is preferably of one-piece molded construction, utilizing a suitable plastic, such as polypropylene, which provides suitable flexibility for spring arm 31 without being subject to fatigue in normal use over an extended period of time.

The assembly, comprising coupling wheel 15 together with locator 19 and pawl member 27, is shown as mounted on an axial pin or bearing 33 which extends therethrough into brush opening 30 and which permits free rotation of wheel 15 thereon.

FIG. 4 shows the operation of the coupling means during sweeper translation. When the sweeper is moved in one direction, such as to the left, left sweeper wheel 14 will drive coupling wheel 15 in a direction so that a riser drive face 26 will engage the end of spring arm 31 to drive brush 4. At the same time the right sweeper wheel 14 will drive coupling 13 so that its coupler wheel risers 23 will override spring arm 31 so that the drive connection to brush 5 is uncoupled. Brush 5 will, however, freely rotate on the floor. Reversing of sweeper direction will reverse the coupler action.

Spring arm 31 is positioned relative to risers 23 so that, during overriding motion, coupling wheel 15 is substantially free of frictional contact with pawl member 27. That is, arm 31 does not engage a riser 23, except during a very small portion of relative movement when the end of arm 31 is very closely adjacent riser edge 25. See phantom lines in FIG. 5. This results in a very quiet, relatively friction-free, wear-free operation of the device.

In a floor sweeper of the type disclosed, dust and debris swept from the floor by brushes 4 and 5 may tend to accumulate adjacent the ends of the brushes; and would ultimately interfere with the action of the coupling device. The invention therefore contemplates that the coupling device includes means to substantially close and seal the interior thereof. For this purpose, and as shown in FIG. 6, the edge portion of disclike base 28 overlaps shoulder 24 and is disposed closely adjacent thereto. This closes off the inner open end of coupling wheel 15. It may be desirable to press fit pawl member 27 onto bearing 33 so that base 28 is firmly held in place adjacent shoulder 24. In any event, the length of brush core 6 should be such that base 28 is close to the shoulder.

To provide the proper action, the camming direction of risers 23 and the facing direction of arm 31 must be reversed for coupling devices on opposite ends of the brushes. The same is, of course, true of coupling devices mounted along the same sidewall of the sweeper.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contem plated by the inventors.

The following claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

We claim:

1. In a floor sweeper:

a. a rotary floor contacting brush disposed to deliver dust to a dust-receiving area upon reciprocal translation of the sweeper over a floor,

b. a rotary sweeper-supporting wheel,

c. and unidirectional coupling means disposed and connected between said sweeper-supporting wheel and said brush to drive the latter only when the sweeper is trans lated over the floor in one direction, said coupling means comprising.

1. a unitary rotatable coupling wheel connected to said sweeper-supporting wheel for driving thereby and forming a hollow housing having an open inner end,

2. the inner circumferential surface of said coupling wheel having a plurality of cam risers thereon, with said risers having end faces forming an edge, and

3. a unitary pawl member fixedly secured to an end of said brush for rotation therewith,

4. said pawl member including a base and a flexible spring arm extending from said base,

5. said pawl member being disposed coaxially with said coupling wheel and disposed in the open end thereof so that said spring arm and said risers are closely adjacent.

6. said spring arm being positioned so that the end thereof will be engaged by a riser end face to thereby rotatably drive said brush when said sweeper-supporting wheel turns in one direction; and so that, when said sweepersupporting wheel turns in the other direction, said spring arm is substantially free of contact with said risers, except when the end of said arm is closely adjacent the said riser end face edge.

2. The floor sweeper of claim 1 wherein said risers form an inwardly facing annular shoulder, and wherein said base is disclike and has an edge which is disposed closely adjacent said shoulder to close the open inner end of said coupling wheel.

3. The floor sweeper of claim 1 wherein said sweeper includes a housing having sidewalls with an opening therein, and wherein said coupling means includes locator means on the outer end of said coupling wheel, said locator means being disposed in said opening.

4. The floor sweeper of claim 3 wherein:

a. said sidewall opening is rectangular,

b. the outer end of said coupling wheel is closed to form a wall with a central depression therein, and c. said locator means comprises a rectangular member having a flat circular base portion received within said depression, and with said rectangular member disposed in said rectangular opening.

5. The floor sweeper of claim 4 which includes bearing means coaxially mounting said coupling wheel, said pawl member and said locator means.

6. In a floor sweeper, the combination comprising:

a. a rotary floor-contacting brush disposed to deliver dust to a dust-receiving area upon reciprocal translation of the sweeper over a floor,

b. a rotary sweeper-supporting wheel,

0. coupling means disposed and connected between said wheel and said brush to drive the latter when the sweeper is translated over the floor,

d. said coupling means including a coupling wheel drivingly connected to said sweeper-supporting wheel and forming a hollow housing having an open inner end,

. engageable drive means having a first portion disposed within said coupling wheel,

f. and a disclike base fixedly secured to the end of said brush,

g. said base having a second portion of said drive means thereon which drivingly engages said first portion,

h. said base being disposed in the open inner end of said housing to close said inner end to thereby seal the housing interior against dust picked up from said floor by said brush. 

1. In a floor sweeper: a. a rotary floor contacting brush disposed to deliver dust to a dust-receiving area upon reciprocal translation of the sweeper over a floor, b. a rotary sweeper-supporting wheel, c. and unidirectional coupling means disposed and connected between said sweeper-supporting wheel and said brush to drive the latter only when the sweeper is translated over the floor in one direction, said coupling means comprising.
 1. a unitary rotatable coupling wheel connected to said sweeper-supporting wheel for driving thereby and forming a hollow housing having an open inner end,
 2. the inner circumferential surface of said coupling wheel having a plurality of cam risers thereon, with said risers having end faces forming an edge, and
 3. a unitary pawl member fixedly secured to an end of said brush for rotation therewith,
 4. said pawl member including a base and a flexible spring arm extending from said base,
 5. said pawl member being disposed coaxially with said coupling wheel and disposed in the open end thereof so that said spring arm and said risers are closely adjacent.
 6. said spring arm being positioned so that the end thereof will be engaged by a riser end face to thereby rotatably drive said brush when said sweeper-supporting wheel turns in one direction; and so that, when said sweeper-supporting wheel turns in the other direction, said spring arm is substantially free of contact with said risers, except when the end of said arm is closely adjacent the said riser end face edge.
 2. the inner circumferential surface of said coupling wheel having a plurality of cam risers thereon, with said risers having end faces forming an edge, and
 2. The floor sweeper of claim 1 wherein said risers form an inwardly facing annular shoulder, and wherein said base is disclike and has an edge which is disposed closely adjacent said shoulder to close the open inner end of said coupling wheel.
 3. The floor sweeper of claim 1 wherein said sweeper includes a housing having sidewalls with an opening therein, and wherein said coupling means includes locator means on the outer end of said coupling wheel, said locator means being disposed in said opening.
 3. a unitary pawl member fixedly secured to an end of said brush for rotation therewith,
 4. said pawl member including a base and a flexible spring arm extending from said base,
 4. The floor sweeper of claim 3 wherein: a. said sidewall opening is rectangular, b. the outer end of said coupling wheel is closed to form a wall with a central depression therein, and c. said locator means comprises a rectangular member having a flat circular base portion received within said depression, and with said rectangular member disposed in said rectangular opening.
 5. The floor sweeper of claim 4 which includes bearing means coaxially mounting said coupling wheel, said pawl member and said locator means.
 5. said pawl member being disposed coaxially with said coupling wheel and disposed in the open end thereof so that said spring arm and said risers are closely adjacent.
 6. said spring arm being positioned so that the end thereof will be engaged by a riser end face to thereby rotatably drive said brush when said sweeper-supporting wheel turns in one direction; and so that, when said sweeper-supporting wheel turns in the other direction, said spring arm is substantially free of contact with said risers, except when the end of said arm is closely adjacent the said riser end face edge.
 6. In a floor sweeper, the combination comprising: a. a rotary floor-contacting brush disposed to deliver dust to a dust-receiving area upon reciprocal translation of the sweeper over a floor, b. a rotary sweeper-supporting wheel, c. coupling means disposed and connected between said wheel and said brush to drive the latter when the sweeper is translated over the floor, d. said coupling means including a coupling wheel drivingly connected to said sweeper-supporting wheel and forming a hollow housing having an open inner end, e. engageable drive means having a first portion disposed within said coupling wheel, f. and a disclike base fixedly secured to the end of said brush, g. said base having a second portion of said drive means thereon which drivingly engages said first portion, h. said base being disposed in the open inner end of said housing to close said inner end to thereby seal the housing interior against dust picked up from said floor by said brush. 